Help choosing a lamiglas blank

[Saltheart]

The 1201M and the XRA 1205 would be good candidates IMO. The Loomis 12266 is much faster action , you also should consider the new century blanks that are available.

Be very careful about 1 dimenional advice about big guides vs small guides etc. What people will classify as cone of flight vs concept and how one is better for braid is an extremely narrow discussion of what's available to you in a custom rod. The builder needs to know more than just braid or mono. he can also offer many variants of a "concept" build. Perhaps the rod and reel and lure combinations you will want and your casting ability would mean you are a candidate for a Low Rider set up. Poeple throw that around too and a fast action blank may further justify that but do you really want a classic Low Rider. Many buiulders might suggest a modified Low Rider with LC's as gathering guides but switching to MN's at or after the choker. Most don't even know the difference between their gathering guides , reduction guides , chokers and running guides.

Its a complicated business and if you will be spending good money , as you will if you are considering an SSU , you owe it to yourself to discuss it all with a builder , not a guy who is a guide wrapper, a high volume off the shelf dealer or a typical user. There's a place for all those people and a low price that justifies it all but if you will be considering spending a lot of money , talk to a builder.

[luds]

Also willing to let you take a few of my rods for a spin if you're in my neck of the woods. I have a 1205, 1201m, and a 1204. Working on an ssu 1201 right now. Like someone said......stay away from the factory gsb. You can get a semi custom from cms for nearly the same price and it will have a handle thats long enough and fit for the surf.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Most don't even know the difference between their gathering guides , reduction guides , chokers and running guides.

That descibes me to a tee...when someone asks what type of setup my rods are, I simply tell them they're Numbskull specials. They work quite well but don't try casting rip rap with them...

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

GSB 1201 M Is your best all around Lami IMO

Love mine - best all around rod IMO if you need just 1.

The rest of the advice and having one tailored for you is spot on.

Dave Fontaine - congrats

[SeaWolf]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Its a complicated business and if you will be spending good money , as you will if you are considering an SSU , you owe it to yourself to discuss it all with a builder , not a guy who is a guide wrapper, a high volume off the shelf dealer or a typical user. There's a place for all those people and a low price that justifies it all but if you will be considering spending a lot of money , talk to a builder.

Putski, this is about as solid advice as you can get. Coming from another rod builder, many can wrap a rod, but not can build a rod.

You received a lot of great advice. It seems that you tried a GSB1201M, but didn't like the "wobble". I don't know how the rod was built for guides and layout, but in general the GSB1201M is a softer, slower graphite blank. The bigger the guides used, the more it wobbles or slower it recovers. When throwing eels, I prefer a rod that bends deeper to add in casting, since eels are not the most aerodynamic things to throw. This blank would be my choice for throwing live eels in a 10' blank. A second choice may be the SSU1201M, which is similar to the GSB, but a little lighter, faster, and tighter in feeling, plus it's a bit more expensive. I do not like fast action rods for throwing live eels, so a 1205 would not be my first choice. However, it would make a nice rigged-eel rod and it a perfect plugging/jigging rod. As others have said, ignor some of the bad rap on the internet for the Arras. I have customers that put their Arra's thru hell and they are still at it. Sure, they had a couple lines that went out w/ defects, which is most of what you read about. The others are production rods built incorrectly. One more thing about the GSB-series, it's about the most durable graphite blank out there, which is huge to me for dependability.

If you do fish braid, do yourself a favor and check out a rod built on the NGC. You will get a light and responsive rod.